Gold Glitter
by Claire Lafleur
Summary: James got gold glitter in Lily's hair (oh shit). "Look, Lily. All I'm saying is someone like James Potter—annoying as he may be—might do you some good. Okay?"


Lily stood in front of the big mirror in the seventh year girl's dormitory and huffed as she tried to brush the gold glitter out of her hair. The brush got caught on a tangle and she had to yank it free. It finally came loose, but it did so with a not of hair and a puff of glitter (both of which drove her closer to that looming edge).

"I'm absolutely fed up with this"

"Fed up with what?" Marlene McKinnon asked, laying spread out on her bed. She'd followed Lily out of the Great Hall to provide moral support (by flipping through a magazine).

"By them. With them. I'm fed up with them." She brushed her hair more aggressively with each sentence. The static cling was starting to build.

"Oh, okay. Thanks for making that clear Lily."

"It's just, it's boys."

"Not again, look I get it. Potter is the spawn of the Devil. I know you're pissed at him. He's why we're up here."

"No, not Potter."

"Not Potter?"

"Nope."

"Then who? Who are you getting so frustrated about as you try to get this fucking glitter—a product of Potter and Co.'s glitter bombs—out of your hair."

"All boys."

"Oh, come on. That's hardly fair."

"Like, as in all boys that I've been..."

"been what?"

"Involved with... I guess."

Marlene snorted, "Ahh, Lilly. You amuse me so. Come on, what the hell are you even talking about. You've never even gone out on a date, I mean you've gotten close, but"

"That's exactly my point. Guys are just all too lame."

"Are you sure that's the problem?"

Lily gives her dagger-eyes.

"Kidding," Marlene tosses an innocent smile back at her, "Why are guys lame?"

"Well..." Lily put down the hair brush, giving up for now, "okay, confession time."

"What?"

"Yeah, there are some things you don't know about my previous... 'almost' relationships."

"Such as?"

"Well, you know that Adrian and I had planned to go out last Hogsmead weekend."

"Yeah, but then you canceled cause of the snow storm."

"Yes, but we were just taking a raincheck... or, I guess it was a 'snowcheck,' or at least that's what he kept calling it."

"Loser, sorry Lily, but really. Whatever, the point is?"

"Right, well, we were going to go out but then someone told me that he was stealing potions supplies making Euphoria draughts and that he might be selling them."

"Oh. Well, I guess you can't trust everything you hear. Did you ask him about it?"

"No. I was going to, but then he just came right out and told me that he's done Angel Dust before."

"Holy shit."

"I know, right?"

"I can't believe you didn't tell me."

"Sorry, it was just a lot to take in and—"

"And you're Lily and you're proud and you wouldn't have told me regardless. Am I right?"

"Yeah."

"But one bad guy doesn't mean the rest are assholes."

"But the others were pretty bad too."

"Oh my gosh, Lily. What happened?"

"Well, Davey and I wrote a lot of letters over the summer after 5th year."

"Right, I remember."

"But then,

"And even when I was talking to Bertram. That was only 2nd year and he did manage to tell me he liked me, which takes guts for a twelve year old. But he ruined that courageous pronouncement by telling me he also liked some 3rd year twat and that he wasn't quite sure who to go for yet."

"Prat."

Lily half smiled at that, but then added, "Even Snape turned out to be a death eater. And the worst part is that I didn't even get made, not at him. I just cried. But I don't think I can do this anymore."

"Oh, Lily. Well, at least that doesn't happen anymore, the crying"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, look at you and Potter."

"Me and Potter?"

"Yeah. I mean he essentially just dumped a vat of glitter on you and look at you: you're mad as ever. And at him as well."

"But that's different. Things with me and him aren't romantic. I don't feel vulnerable or terrified when it comes to Potter, I just feel anger."

"Lil, a relationship shouldn't make you feel terror. I mean, a bit of nervousness is okay, But... well, I'd say anger is actually more conducive to a healthy relationship."

"What? Why?"

"It's a sign of passion. Everybody's parent's fight. They're definitely not afraid of each other, at least not the ones with good relationships... you know that aren't abusive and so on."

"Abusive is going a bit far, don't you think? At least for my situation."

"Abuse is not just a physical thing, Lily. It's mental and emotional. And each form is equally harmful."

Lily was silent. She simply looked at herself in the mirror, gold glitter laced through her hair. She noticed that it was kind of pretty, especially against her red hair. It even sort of brought out the gold flecks in her eyes.

"Look, Lily. All I'm saying is some one like James Potter—annoying as he may be—might do you some good. Okay?"

Lily met Marlene's eyes in the mirror, smiled, and nodded.

"Okay, whatever Marl."

**Reviewers will get chocolate pie with excellent homemade whip - _love all as usual_.**


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